Jump to content

Arceus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arceus
Pokémon character
Arceus artwork by Ken Sugimori
First gamePokémon Diamond and Pearl (2006)
Created byTakao Unno[1]
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeNormal[a]

Arceus (Japanese: アルセウス, Hepburn: Aruseusu) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise, first introduced in the 2006 video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and designed by Takao Unno. Despite being featured in Diamond and Pearl, it was not available through official means. In future games, it was sometimes made available through promotional events. It is the center of the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it sends the protagonist back in time to meet all Pokémon. Since Arceus's debut, it has appeared in multiple games including the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise.

Classified as a Normal-type Pokémon, Arceus is the god of Pokémon, said to be responsible for the creation of the universe, as well as the Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, which are responsible for space, time, and anti-matter respectively. It is capable of changing to any other type through the use of items called "Plates". It has a white and grey body with a gold circle around its body, its colors changing depending on its type. It is the central figure of the film Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

Concept and design

[edit]

Arceus is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[2] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[3] Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[4] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[3] In the beta for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it was discovered through leaks that it had a significantly different and simpler.[5]

Arceus is the god of Pokémon,[6] said to have originally been an egg "in a place where there was nothing" before creating the world.[7] It is described in-game as predating the universe and that it is responsible for creating it using its "1,000 arms".[8] Arceus also created three other Pokémon: Dialga, the master of time, Palkia, the master of space, and Giratina, the master of antimatter.[9][10] It is also responsible for the creation of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, which represent knowledge, emotion, and willpower respectively.[9] It is among the most powerful Pokémon,[11] exceeding the next best Pokémon by 20 percent in its battle statistics at the time of its debut.[6] While it is Normal type by default,[8] it is capable of becoming any Pokémon type through the use of items called "Plates", each plate corresponding to a different type,[12] due to its Multitype ability. There are 18 total Plates; 17 were introduced initially, and an 18th Plate was introduced with the introduction of the Fairy type in Pokémon X and Y. It has the signature move "Judgment", which changes type depending on which type Arceus is.[9] Arceus is a quadripedal Pokémon. Its body is primarily white and grey, with a gold wheel adorned with four green jewels[9] and gold hooves.[13] Its head extends into a flowing mane, and it has a horse-like design[9] and mannerisms.[14] While it uses this color scheme by default, it changes depending on the Plate equipped.[citation needed] Each of these forms has a Shiny form, a rare variant for each Pokémon. In this case, the white is changed to gold.[citation needed]

The pronunciation of its name has been the subject of debate due in part to the pronunciation differences between English and Japanese. In English, it is pronounced "ar-key-us", while Japanese pronounces it as ""ar-say-us". The voice director for the anime film. Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, stated that they chose to use a hard c sound to avoid its name sounding like "arse". Despite this split, it is called Arceus with a soft c in the Detective Pikachu film.[15] Arceus was also referred to with a soft c sound earlier in the Pokémon TV series.[16]

Appearances

[edit]

Arceus first appears in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, though it was not officially revealed at the time. It could be found in an area called "Hall of Origin", which was legitimately accessible only through the use of an item called an "Azure Flute", an event-exclusive item that was never distributed at the time. The item was only ever accessible in these games through workarounds.[8] Another workaround involved manipulating the game to glitch into finding and catching Arceus.[17] Arceus was later announced to be featured in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver,[18] remakes of the games Pokémon Gold and Silver.[citation needed] As a result of players voting on Pokémon Dream World for which Pokémon would be distributed, Arceus was chosen, and players of Pokémon Black and White were given a code to add it to their copies.[19] In 2015, a code was distributed to people who made advanced purchases of tickets for Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages for players of Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, the type of the Arceus randomly determined for each person.[20] This code was later distributed across various retailers in 2016[21] and through an online code in 2017.[22] A code was distributed in CoroCoro allowing players to obtain Arceus in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.[23]

Arceus is the title character of the video game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it is responsible for sending the protagonist back into the past to a land called Hisui, which is the name of the Sinnoh region in the past, given a phone called the "Arc Phone" and tasked with seeking out every Pokémon. Throughout the game, space-time rifts are opened, causing Pokémon to become frenzied. Eventually, the player works with a person named Volo, who helps them investigate and discover different Plates. Once they are all gathered, Volo reveals that he was responsible for causing the rifts to summon the Pokémon Giratina, who was banished, as well as his goal of causing Arceus to appear so he could use it to destroy the world and replace it with one he felt was superior. Volo battles the player with Giratina, ultimately loses, and gives them the final Plate, allowing them to obtain the Azure Flute. Once the player collects one of every Pokémon, they can play the Azure Flute to encounter Arceus, at which point it will do battle with them. Upon defeat, it grants the player a fragment of itself, which manifests as an Arceus that the player can use in their party, as well as an item called the Legend Plate that lets Arceus change type mid-battle.[citation needed]

Arceus has appeared in the Pokémon Trading Card Game,[citation needed] featured in the set "Arceus Advent". In this set, there are 12 different Arceus cards, each with a different ability and some with different types. They also have a ripple symbol on each card that, when all cards are lined up, form one ripple.[24] A Shiny variant card of Arceus was also released.[25] It appears in Pokémon TCG Pocket, where the two cards it received were the rarest available in its debut set.[26] In the video game Pokémon Go, an event called "Pokémon Go Tour: Sinnoh" was announced. Whether Arceus would be included was "hotly debated" by Pokémon Go players before developer Niantic confirmed it would not be. A representative explained that it was an "extra special" Pokémon, and thus, they wanted to ensure it was given special attention when it was added to the game.[27]

In the video game Pokémon Conquest, the antagonist, Oda Nobunaga, seeks to conquer the Ransei region,[9] which is shaped like Arceus.[28] In turn, the protagonist seeks to counter this by uniting the region under their banner, which would allow them to summon Arceus. It is later revealed that Nobunaga also planned to summon Arceus to end the conflicts of the land.[9] Arceus is eventually summoned by the protagonist, who aids them in defeating Nobunaga.[citation needed] It also appears in other games, such as Pokémon Shuffle Mobile[29] and Pokémon Masters EX.[30] Arceus has received multiple pieces of merchandise, including plushes,[31] figurines,[32][33] model kits,[34] and apparel.[35]

A film titled Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life was released in 2011, starring Arceus as the central Pokémon. In it, Arceus awakens in its pocket dimension and attacks the human's dimension, who have angered it. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina join forces to stop Arceus, though are ultimately defeated. This anger is determined to be due to humans refusing to return a jewel containing its life force it created to help them create civilization. Protagonist Ash Ketchum ultimately resolves the conflict by giving it back the jewel, causing it to become placated and leave.[36] The film was adapted into a manga, which is a straightforward, truncated retelling of the film.[37] A series of four special episodes of the TV series was distributed exclusively on Amazon.com's Prime Video streaming service that ties into Pokémon Legends: Arceus, featuring the Pokémon.[38] In the Detective Pikachu film, multiple references exist to Arceus, including Detective Pikachu invoking its name[citation needed] and a statue depicting it alongside Dialga and Palkia.[39] In season 8 of medical drama House M.D., titular character Dr. Gregory House mentions Arceus in the episode "Perils of Paranoia" during a discussion between his team about a patient, referencing its role as creator of the universe and states of matter.[40]

Reception

[edit]

Arceus has been generally well received. In a poll of Japanese fans in 2016, Arceus was voted the second-best Pokémon.[41] It has been listed in multiple best of Pokémon lists by critics as well, inlcuing IGN and Game Informer.[42][43] Writer Caleb Compton regarded Arceus' design as "fittingly divine", stating that he appreciated how the designs of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina are connected to Arceus'. He felt that their faces bore the strongest resemblance to Arceus, adding that this both helped convey that they are a trio and conveyed their connection to Arceus. Compton praised Arceus' and the trio's designs, stating that while they were complicated, they felt "powerful and legendary".[44] Following internal leaks revealing a beta design of Arceus, this design became popular with fans who created memes, fan art, and a mod that adds it into one of the games. Patricia Hernandez of Polygon described it as looking like a ghost or cryptid as designed by a child, stating that it made it "endearing and humbling" due in part to its "softer, rounder lines".[5] Arceus is considered among the most powerful Pokémon.[11][45] In Pokémon TCG Pocket, the card Arceus EX became a dominating card in competitive play,[46][47] GamesRadar+ writer Catherine Lewis stating that it is a stronger version of the card Pikachu EX, which was previously dominating the competitive meta.[46]

Nintendo Life writer Alana Hagues felt that the final boss against Arceus in Pokémon Legends: Arceus was among the best video game bosses, praising it for how "frustrating and challenging" while still being rewarding. She found issues with the camera and feeling the game was "clunky", stating that while both of these things caused her to struggle against Arceus, she found it acceptable since she was fighting 'God'. Hagues believed that this was the most similar the series has been to being similar to a Japanese role-playing game.[48] IGN writer Rebekah Valentine also made the comparison between the battle with Arceus and Japanese role-playing games, particularly having the final battle be against a god that wronged the protagonist. She felt that Arceus somewhat fulfilled this, stating that the game treats the encounter as "beautiful", but argued that Arceus does not care about the world and created the series' most "tragic" story. She cited multiple factors, including forcing a child into a dangerous world. Valentine compared this to myths involving a "deity calling a young hero out of their comfort zone to help a people in peril", but argued that Arceus' motivations seemed to suggest it was a game to it without allowing the child to go home. She also noted how Ingo was also taken without his memory or any explanation for why he was here, and that Arceus was ultimately responsible for the problems that occur in the game due to what it did to Giratina. She described it as "part trickster, part vengeful Old Testament deity, and part the more absent God of modernity".[49]

Author Suraj Sood stated that Arceus in the movie Arceus and the Jewel of Light represented a vengeful Old Testament God, and felt that the theme for its battle in Arceus had an anxious feel that conveyed the "urgency of creation". He noted Judgment in his discussion as Arceus as a God, describing it as a "powerful, gracious, rewarding [God that] can take many forms". He added that the it is "ironically worships" by Pokémon fans, citing a Facebook page titled "Arceism" to center around Arceus.[11] According to GamesRadar+ writer Ashley Reed, Arceus is theorized that the Pokémon Unown was used by Arceus to create the universe. She cited different explanations, including Unown congregating when Arceus summons the egg of either Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina, as well as a "plethora of Unown" sounding similar to the Azure Flute.[50] Authors Alvin Haddadène and Loup Lassinat-Foubert argued that Arceus may have been inspired by various religious and mythological figures, including Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist figure who possesses 1,000 arms in one form, and the deities Hecatoncheires from Greek mythology.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Collection. Bellevue, WA: The Pokémon Company International. 2016. p. 182. OCLC 1140223244.
  2. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  4. ^ Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook. Scholastic Inc. July 28, 2015. p. 5. ISBN 9780545795661.
  5. ^ a b Hernandez, Patricia (July 27, 2020). "Nintendo Gigaleak turns beta Arceus into a Pokémon phenomenon". Polygon. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Vassar, Darryl (April 19, 2007). "The complete Pokemon Diamond and Pearl pokedex, part 10". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  7. ^ Lewis, Catherine (October 14, 2024). "Enormous Pokemon leak reportedly includes the JRPG series' entire origin myth, alongside a short story that may have ruined Typhlosion forever". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c Wald, Heather (October 28, 2021). "Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Who is Arceus in Pokemon lore?". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Haddadène, Alvin; Lassinat-Foubert, Loup (August 10, 2018). Générations Pokémon: Vingt ans d’évolution. Création - univers - décryptage. Third Editions. ISBN 9782377840519. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "Pokemon Platinum Q&A: Giratina, Anti-Matter, and E=MC2". GameSpot. March 6, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Sood, Suraj (July 2023). "The Augmented Cognition of Religion and Spirituality in Media". Research Gate. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  12. ^ Padilla, Raymond (March 13, 2008). "Pokemusings, week 36". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  13. ^ Foot, Casey (February 8, 2023). "Pokemon: Every Horse Pokemon, Ranked". TheGamer. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  14. ^ Painter, Ben (March 26, 2025). "Best Pokemon Based on Horses". Game Rant. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  15. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (January 31, 2022). "So ... how do you pronounce Arceus?". Polygon. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  16. ^ Peters, Megan (March 21, 2023). "Pokemon Guide Settles Big Debate About Arceus". Comicbook.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  17. ^ "「ポケモン ダイヤモンド＆パール」に登場する幻の最強ポケモン"アルセウス"　発売後10年でついに入手方法判明か". ITMedia. January 29, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  18. ^ Sahdev, Ishaan (July 14, 2009). "More Legendaries Confirmed For Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver". Siliconera. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  19. ^ "『ポケモンBW』投票企画終了！ PDWでアルセウスを仲間にしよう". Dengeki Online. November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  20. ^ "恒例のポケモン映画前売券プレゼント，今年は伝説のポケモン"アルセウス"が「オメガルビー/アルファサファイア」と「X/Y」に". 4gamer. February 16, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  21. ^ Whitehead, Thomas (August 1, 2016). "Mythical Pokémon Arceus is Now Up for Grabs From Store Distributions". Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  22. ^ González, Sergio (July 4, 2017). "Consigue gratis al Pokémon Arceus para 3DS con este código". MeriStation. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  23. ^ Sato (January 15, 2018). "Serial Code For Mythical Pokémon Arceus Included In The February 2018 Issue Of CoroCoro In Japan". Siliconera. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  24. ^ "12種類のアルセウスが登場「ポケモンカード」新拡張パック発売". Inside Games. July 8, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  25. ^ Rossow, Hannes (July 10, 2017). "Pokémon - "Shiny"-Sammelkarten zu Mew & Co. feiern Comeback nach 10 Jahren". GamePro. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  26. ^ Raynor, Kelsey (June 16, 2025). "Pokemon TCG Pocket's rarest cards". VG247. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  27. ^ Phillips, Tom (February 13, 2024). "No, Arceus won't be included in Pokémon Go Tour: Sinnoh". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  28. ^ Shearon, Andrea (August 21, 2021). "Pokemon Legends Arceus Taps Into A Little Conquest Nostalgia". TheGamer. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  29. ^ "「ポケとる スマホ版」にアルセウスが降臨。「ハイスピードチャレンジ」など3種類のイベントが本日スタート". 4gamer. December 28, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  30. ^ "『ポケマスEX』メインストーリー"アルセウス編"第3章追加。"★５アルコスＮ＆ゾロアーク"が新登場するバディーズサーチもスタート". Famitsu. March 10, 2025. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  31. ^ Clark, Willie (November 15, 2016). "A Look Behind the Curtain at How Pokemon Become Toys". Inverse. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  32. ^ Miller, Zachary (October 22, 2013). "Of Nerds and Men: Singularity". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  33. ^ Coulson, Josh (May 14, 2024). "Pokemon's Next Funko Pop Is An Arceus Releasing At SDCC 2024". TheGamer. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  34. ^ "『ポケモン』幻のポケモン「アルセウス」がプラモデル化！「ポケプラ クイック!!」シリーズにモクローも登場！". Dengeki Hobby Web. December 16, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  35. ^ "ピカチュウやイーブイ、アルセウスのTシャツなどが登場　『ポケモン』×グラニフの最新アイテムが4月27日より販売開始". Real Sound. April 19, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  36. ^ Max, Josh (May 16, 2011). "Pokémarathon Parade". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  37. ^ Speelman, Tom (July 14, 2016). "Screen & Page: Pokemon Go God Level In 'Arceus & The Jewel of Life'". Comics Alliance. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  38. ^ "「ポケモン」アマプラでアニメ特別編「神とよばれし アルセウス」見放題独占配信". Natalie. December 23, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  39. ^ Rougeau, Michael (May 13, 2019). "30 Easter Eggs & References You Might Have Missed In The Detective Pikachu Movie". GameSpot. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  40. ^ Castro, Bárbara (March 2, 2025). "Arceus? Você pode não lembrar, mas esta série médica dos anos 2000 referenciou Pokémon do jeito mais aleatório possível" [Arceus? You might not remember, but this medical drama from the 2000s referenced Pokémon in the most random way possible.]. IGN Brazil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  41. ^ Paget, Mat (June 8, 2016). "Here Are the Top 100 Pokemon in Japan". GameSpot. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  42. ^ Drake, Audrey. "Arceus - $61 Top Pokémon". IGN. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  43. ^ "Top 50 Pokémon Of All Time". Game Informer. November 21, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  44. ^ Compton, Caleb (May 26, 2020). "Evolution of Pokemon Design – Generation 4". Game Developer. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  45. ^ Nair, Yash (June 10, 2023). "The most broken Legendary Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet returning from Pokémon Home". Dot Esports. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  46. ^ a b Lewis, Catherine (March 6, 2025). "Pokemon's literal god of the universe is almost unstoppable in TCG Pocket – the only thing that can save us is a smiley tree and a concussed dinosaur". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  47. ^ Martínez, Rubén; Huerta, Gabriel (March 11, 2025). "Metal Gods: Arceus ex and Dialga ex dominate the new Pokémon TCG Pocket meta with this powerful deck". MeriStation. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  48. ^ Hagues, Alana (March 20, 2025). "Opinion: We'll Never Get A Final Boss As Good As Pokémon Legends: Arceus Again". Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  49. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (February 26, 2022). "Pokemon Legends: Arceus Is Pokemon's Most Tragic Story Ever". IGN. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  50. ^ Reed, Ashley (October 13, 2017). "The weirdest theories about the Pokemon universe". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 28, 2025.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ While Arceus is Normal type by default, it is capable of being any type through the use of special items.[citation needed]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arceus&oldid=1325050639"